Sunshine State Getaway
by Aurora Amari
Summary: Shuichi has the perfect vacation-trip to Florida!After Yuki agrees to go on this "Dream vacation", the two lovers learn that it could just become a "Nightmare vacation" when they get to their last stop...NEW CHAPTER IS IN 12-31-04!
1. Sunshine State GetawayPro

"Yuki! Yuki, Yuki, Yuki!" an almost hysterical laugh came from the front door. "I have a surprise! Where are you?"  
  
"I might as well give up now..." Eiri Yuki said to himself. "I'm in the living room," he reluctantly called from the couch, and turned off the television as Shuichi Shindou, his young lover, came bounding through the room, a grin from ear to ear on his face.  
  
"We're are going to have so much fun!!!" Shuichi sang as he sat down next to the writer.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Yuki asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing.  
  
"In Florida! We're going to the United States on a tour of Florida! K bought us tickets for the week! We'll be going to the most famous places in the state! Daytona Beach, Orlando, the Everglades...I've never seen an alligator before, they're supposed to be all over that place! And the theme parks...there are so many! And the best part," Shuichi smiled menacingly, almost drooling, "one-bed hotel rooms. Mwuahahaha!!!"  
  
"Calm down, we're not going," Yuki declared, looking disgusted. "You can go if you want, but I'm not going with you."  
  
"Yuuukii!" Shuichi said, the sparkle gone from his eyes, "Please come with me! K bought these so that we could get away on vacation..." and he began to cry.  
  
The writer rolled his eyes and was about to turn the T.V. back on, when a final plea came from the boy.  
  
"If we go, we'll be there on my birthday. It would be the perfect present if I could be with you in Florida."  
  
Inwardly, Yuki groaned. Why did the boy have to make him feel so bad? He knew He was beaten. With a defeated sigh, he comforted Shuichi by asking, "When do we leave?"  
  
::Hallelujah Chorus plays in Shuichi's head::  
  
"Yes!" the boy screams, almost deafening his lover. "We leave tomorrow! Tomorrow, tomorrow, we leave here, tomorrow. It's only a day away!!!!" he sings his version of the Annie song.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Did you remember your bathing suit? Sunscreen? Sunglasses?" Shuichi called off the list of things to bring. There plane left in two hours, and he was ecstatic.  
  
"Yes, yes, and yes, now be quiet!"  
  
"What about," the boy leered, "underwear?" He made his way to Yuki's drawer, hungry hands grabbing for the precious linens. "Hehe, I'm touching his underwear," he thought to himself.  
  
Yuki snatched the clothes from the boy, catching the look on his face, "Grow up."  
  
Shuichi frowned for a moment, and grinned again, too excited to get upset. He thinks about the two lovers at the beach.  
  
::"Can I get you anything, dear?" Shuichi asks the writer, tray with a margarita in his hands. He offers the drink to Yuki, who is floating on a tube raft, and sips the drink made by Shuichi. "You forgot the little umbrella..."::   
  
"What are you standing there for? Let's go, if you don't want to miss the plane," Yuki scolded the boy. He shook his head, and made his way to the car, Shuichi trailing behind him.  
  
"Let me takes those for you," Shuichi said as he took the luggage and packed them into the trunk. He was humming and smiling to himself.  
  
=============================================================   
  
An hour and a half later...  
  
=============================================================   
  
The plane took off and Yuki opened up his laptop, trying to continue his latest story. Shuichi took out his CD player and closed his eyes, thinking about how great the week in Florida was going to be.  
  
"We are now leaving Japan, eastbound, for Orlando, Florida. USA. Please take this time to make sure your seatbelt is properly secured, and thank you for flying..." An intercom announced to the passengers.  
  
---END PROLOGUE--- 


	2. Sunshine State GetawayChap1

:: A sign with a palm tree and sun greets the arrivals, "Welcome to Florida, the Sunshine State."::  
  
"The brochure said that a representative of the tour would pick us up here..." Shuichi explained as the guys searched for their bags among the others. After making sure they didn't miss anything, the lovers made their way to the front of the airport, where a man was holding up a piece of cardboard reading, "Shuichi Shindou-Florida Getaway Tours."  
  
"How was your flight?" the man asked as they greeted each other.  
  
"It was great, I'm Shuichi and this is Yuki," came the boy's reply.  
  
On the way to the car, they learned a few things that they would do on their vacation, from Rick-as he told them he was named.  
  
Rick was tall, tan, and muscular. Something you wouldn't expect from someone who spent his time driving tourists around. He had brown hair and eyes, wore blue jean pants, a light T-shirt, brown boots, and a worn cowboy hat.  
  
"Oh, you'll have a fine time here. First it's the theme parks. You can choose form Disney World, Animal Kingdom, or MGM. Then it's down to Daytona Beach the next day...you'll get tickets for a few free drinks at a local bar, and then the next day you can go swimming, eat lunch at a restaurant, and it's off to the last stop-the Everglades. After the hotel, you get a full day's tour of the Everglades, AKA-The Sea of Grass. You'll visit an Indian reservation, go airboatin', see some gators...and then it's back to the airport and home for yall," Rick smiled.  
  
They loaded their things into the rental and headed for the hotel as their tour guide, Rick, chatted on about the best rides at all the theme parks and played country music.  
  
Shuichi listened to the music, it was strange...he hadn't really heard country before. "It's kind of catchy," he thought to himself. "It's a good thing Yuki has been teaching me English, it would be hard to vacation here without being able to talk to the locals."  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
After being dropped off by Rick, Yuki and Shuichi got their hotel key, and unpacked in the room. It consisted of a dresser with a lamp, a huge AC stuck to the window, a small bathroom, and, to Shuichi's delight, a single bed.   
  
"Ah, free soap and shampoo! How thoughtful," Shuichi smiled, Yuki rolled his eyes.  
  
"Look at the menu, and pick out what you want for dinner," the writer pointed to the room service packet.  
  
Shuichi examined the choices. "Hmmm, I don't really understand this menu, Yuki. I haven't learned the food yet. You pick out something for me, something 'American'!" He decided as he handed the menu to Yuki, who looked a minute, and smiled.  
  
=============================================================   
  
"Mmm, Yuki it's delicious!" Shuichi declared as he ate his dinner, and after taking a sip of Coke, asked, "What's it called again?"  
  
"Hot-dog," Yuki answered matter-of-factly, a slight grin on his face as he at his spaghetti.  
  
"Hot-dog...why is it called that? Is it made of dog?" the singer asked uncertainly.  
  
"No," was Yuki's reply. And when he saw the boy look relieved he added, "It's made from the leftover's of pigs. You know, intestine, lips, things that the butcher doesn't sell," He tried to hide his smirk as Shuichi made his way to the bathroom.  
  
=============================================================  
  
After Shuichi emptied his stomach, and washed his mouth out five times, he made his way to the bed and saw Yuki as he changed into his pajamas.  
  
"Oh Yuki, wait for me!" Shuichi began to undress. "You know, it's a waste of time putting those clothes on," he grinned, and, naked, walked up to his lover.  
  
"I'm tired," Yuki complained, but did stop dressing as Shuichi's hands came around his waist.  
  
Shuichi reached up and licked the writer's neck, and ear, earning a moan of pleasure from Yuki, who quickly slipped out of his silk pants. He turned and met Shuichi's lips with his own, giving a small nibble now and then, while also playing with Shuichi's pink, messy hair.  
  
"That wasn't nice, Yuki," Shuichi said, remembering the food incident.   
  
"You asked for something "American," Yuki replied with a smile.  
  
"American's are crazy," the boy shook his head.   
  
"You just now realized?"  
  
They lowered onto the bed, still embracing. And as Yuki leaned over the boy, he warned, "You're kind of loud...they might hear us."  
  
"Let them."  
  
---END CHAPTER 1--- 


	3. Sunshine State GetawayChap2

"So, Yuki, which theme park do we go to?" Shuichi asked as he poured over the brochure. "Look at MGM! The Tower of Terror, A five-story drop in an...elevator? These American's really ARE crazy, I mean I'll only go so far for some fun! Hmmm Animal Kingdom looks OK, but could be boring..Oh! Look at those giant tea cups! And there's Mickey!!! We're going to Disney!" He decided.   
  
Throughout the entire charade, Yuki had been wondering what the hell he had been thinking when he agreed to go on this trip. "Giant tea cups?"  
  
"Yeah! I can't believe it either! We are going to have so much fun today, Yuki!"  
  
"We aren't going anywhere if you don't come eat your breakfast," the writer threatened. He had ordered them pancakes, sausage, and orange juice. Shuichi wouldn't eat the sausage.   
  
The moment they were ready to go, Rick magically appeared at the door.  
  
"Hey, yall ready? Which park did'ya choose?"  
  
"M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E! NAH NAH NAH!" Shuichi sang as he left the hotel room, answering both questions.  
  
"All right, let's go. We'll get there at about ten, I'll pick yall up at five, then it's off to Daytona," Rick said, and they left the empty hotel room to the maids.   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Wow, it's a little hot here," complained Shuichi, five minutes after they arrived at the park.  
  
"Of course it's hot, it's summer, not to mention this is Florida. I told you not to wear pants, but you didn't listen, now stop whining and let's get on a ride already."  
  
The singer frowned as he examined a park map, "Which way are those cups? I don't understand this map!" And he shoved it in Yuki's face.  
  
When they finally made it there, half an hour later, Shuichi was pleased to see that there wasn't much of a line. "Which color do you want to ride in?" He asked Yuki, who merely shrugged. "Fine then, that pink one over there! Hehe, it matches my hair!"  
  
Once in, Shuichi instructed Yuki to help him twist the cup. "Faster!" he cried. They were soon going faster than any of the other cups. "Fas-th--r!" The boy tried to say again, but they were going so fast that the words came out blurred.  
  
"Uh, Shu. I don't--think this cup is supposed to go this fast..." Yuki warned, catching the astonished and worried face of the ride conductor. But Shuichi was in his own little world, and hadn't heard a word.  
  
"I am SHUICHI! Mighty flying singer of doom!!!! Watch my strength spin the little pink cup to it's death! I will--uh? AHH!!  
  
The cup suddenly lurched, unhinging from the floor, the speed too much for it. Yuki had the brains to dive out of it, off to the side, before it went flying! But poor Shuichi (mighty flying singer of doom) only held on for dear life as the cup finally hit the ground about ten feet away from the ride. There was a breaking sound, and pieces of plastic scattered everywhere. The cup was now rolling in small circles, terrified screams emitting from inside. "Yuki! Heelllp!"  
  
Yuki finally recovered himself and ran over to the giant cup, trying to grab hold of the handle. "Hold on Shuichi! Are you OK?" But all he heard were screams. The man running the ride went over to Yuki and helped him stop the cup. When it came to a stop,upside down, Yuki peeked under, "Shuichi?" He pulled the shaking boy into his arms, ignoring the stares, and gave a small laugh. "I can't believe that happened."  
  
"That evil tea cup is possessed!" Shuichi said, gaining control of himself.  
  
They were directed to the park manager, who kept offering tickets, souvenirs, food, and other things to show how sorry they were. (Those suckers just didn't want to be sued.)  
  
"We are very sorry for the accident. The ride is being fixed as we speak," he assured them.  
  
Yuki was staring at Shuichi, who was stuffing his face with the free M&M's they gave him. "So what do you want to do?"  
  
The boy looked at the manager, "Do I get to meet Mickey?"  
  
"Heheh, sure!"  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I wonder why Mickey left so quickly," Shuichi said to himself as they left the office.  
  
And Yuki smiled, "Probably because you nearly suffocated him," he thought.  
  
"Hey! Let's go to Space Mountain!" Shuichi yelled as he spotted the ride.  
  
"After what just happened?"  
  
"Yeah! That won't happen again, just a little bad luck. Haha! Bad Luck! You think the name has cursed me? That would explain a lot you know..." He trailed off and Yuki rolled his eyes.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
The rest of their day passed by without incident and by five they were both exhausted and ready to get to Daytona. They walked out of the park with mouse ears on and, to Shuichi's delight, holding hands. 


	4. Sunshine State GetawayChap3

They had been driving for half an hour. Yuki was in the back seat, snoring away, while Shuichi aided Rick in singing numerous country songs--he was getting pretty good at it too.  
  
"How much longer?" Shuichi complained as the commercials started.  
  
Rick laughed, "If your this impatient after thirty minutes, then ya might not make tomorrow's five hour drive to the Everglades. Oh, here I think you might like this," He handed Shuichi a bag. The boy looked inside and smiled.  
  
"Thanks! It's great."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The hotel room was practically identical to the last, except for the color scheme, with was blue and white. It was now six-thirty, and the two were going to a bar down the street for dinner and fun.  
  
Yuki sat at the table, pen in mouth, trying to come up with some story ideas while waiting for Shuichi to be ready. "I'm going to leave you here if you don't hurry up!"  
  
"I'm ready!"  
  
Yuki turned to look at the boy, and the pen fell out of his mouth. "What the hell are you wearing?!?!"  
  
Shuichi had gone through an entire makeover while in the bathroom. He was dressed as a modern cowboy, inspired by the country way of life. He had new snakeskin boots ending half way up his lower legs. He was wearing tight, faded blue jeans, a tight, white T-shirt, his hair was in a pony tail, and he was sporting a brand-new beige cowboy hat. Sorry, it's me, just had to say: Please picture this in your mind! Half hilarious, half hott!  
  
"Don't you like it?" Shuichi whined. "Rick bought me the new hat!"  
  
"No, I don't like it! You look like...like...I don't even know!"  
  
"Aww, well you'll like it once your used to it, let's get to that bar! I'm dying to try a margarita," the boy smiled. He strolled out the door, leaving a very confused Yuki staring after him.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Yuki came into the bar, searching for Shuichi--who had not waited. Finally he spotted the boy--in his new identity--being surrounded by a surprisingly large group of women.  
  
"What's your name, babe?" one asked with her arm around his shoulder.  
  
Shuichi was getting very nervous, "Uh, Shu-ichi." he answered, and thought to himself, "Babe?"   
  
They were all over him! Yuki knew the boy was panicking, and strode over to the group.  
  
"Are ya here with anyone sweetie?" another asked.   
  
"He's here with me," Yuki declared, so that each woman heard him. They turned to face the stranger.  
  
"We meant is he single," she retorted, eyes narrowed.  
  
Yuki scowled. He walked up to Shuichi, pulled his face to his, and gave a deep, long and passionate kiss. "He's here with me," he repeated when done. The singer just stood there, and after a moment said.  
  
"Yup, I'm here with Yuki!"  
  
The group of woman quickly cleared out, leaving the two lovers to sit at a table. A waiter (nice bar to have a waiter) came and took their order.  
  
"We'll have..." Shuichi said, trying to read the menu. "A basket of curly fries, and two margaritas" The waiter began to jot it down and stopped.   
  
"How old are you, kid," he asked Shuichi.  
  
"Nineteen," Shuichi smiled.  
  
"Sorry, we don't serve alcohol to minors," the waiter replied and walked away.  
  
Shuichi sighed and said, "There goes my dream..."  
  
"What?" Yuki asked.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"You know, you really do look silly in that outfit, why are you wearing it? Does this have anything to do with that country you and Rick are always playing?"  
  
"Well, I like that music too, and I thought I'd look cool as a cowboy. It's not that bad."  
  
Yuki laughed, "Whatever makes you happy then. Now, about those girls..."  
  
Shuichi blushed, "Ahh, well. I couldn't stop them! Did you want me to hit them or something?! Besides, I think you solved that problem nicely," he leered. "Your my protector. Protector Yuki. No, Guardian Yuki...Defender Yuki....? Oh!! Yuki, my Knight in Shining Armor!!!"  
  
::Pictures Yuki as a Knight, come to save him from fire-breathing dragons. "Climb up my hair, Yuki!" And Shuichi would let his twenty-foot long, pink hair down the tower window...::  
  
"Snap out of it!" Yuki said as the waiter came back with the basket of fries, margarita for Yuki, and glass of water for Shuichi.  
  
As Yuki left to the bathroom , Shuichi snatched his drink. "Mmmm, this is good," he said as he emptied the glass. "Uh-oh."  
  
He quickly put it back as the waiter came for a refill.  
  
"Where's your friend?" he said, eyeing the glass suspiciously.  
  
"Uh. The bathroom...drank his margarita to fast!" he lied.  
  
The waiter starred at him for a minute after filling up the glass and left to the other tables.   
  
"Whew-- that was close," and, not learning his lesson the first time, He drank the beverage down again. He began to feel a little strange...  
  
"What?! You drank my margarita? First of all, it's illegal, second of all, it was mine!" Yuki growled as he sat down.  
  
"I'm sorry but I've been wanting---one for a while and they're pretty good."  
  
Yuki motioned for the waiter to refill his glass. The waiter looked at the glass, then Shuichi, who only grinned. He rolled his eyes and filled the cup again.  
  
"Heheh."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Wow!" Shuichi exclaimed as he tripped on the stairs. Before he could fall Yuki caught him.  
  
"You are an idiot. I told you not to drink the rest of my glass but you didn't listen. Two and a half glasses and your like this--don't become an alcoholic," he shook his head.  
  
"Thanks for not letting me fall," said Shuichi as they reached the hotel room. "My Knight in Shining Armor," he slurred.  
  
Yuki paused to look at the boy's face, and smiled. "Your welcome." 


	5. Sunshine State GetawayChap4

"Ouch, the sand is hot!" Shuichi exclaimed as he and Yuki made their way down the beach.  
  
Earlier that day they had gotten up early, eaten a small breakfast, and headed out. Shuichi had applied sunscreen all over himself, and almost looked like a ghost. Yuki didn't use any, even after the boy's requests.  
  
"Get used to it," the writer murmured under his breath. When he found a good spot, he unfolded his chair, put on his sunglasses, and began to read a book. Shuichi got mad at him when he noticed that he wasn't going into the water.  
  
"Yuki! Are you even going to swim today?" He said with his hands on his hips. When he didn't get a reply, he scowled and walked to the water line. He dipped his toes in to test the water before wading out until he was up to his chest. "Ah, it's so pretty! I can see to the bottom," He said to himself. As bigger waves came in, Shuichi would dive through them, to the other side.  
  
About an hour went by and Yuki looked up from his book to check on the young singer, who happened to still be playing in the waves. The writer shook his head and was about to put his attention back to his story when he heard what could only be Shuichi's scream.  
  
"Ahhhhhhh!" The boy screamed again, "Yukiiiii! Help me! It's got me, oh my god, get it off!!" He splashed around screaming while the other people that had been swimming sped towards the beach.   
  
"Shark!!" They kept screaming to each other, and soon Shuichi was the only one left in the water, still kicking and screaming bloody murder.  
  
Yuki threw down his book and shot up, ready to save his lover. He ran to the water and shouted at Shuichi to hold on. After a minute he reached the boy, expecting to see blood and sharks. What he did see was completely different.  
  
Shuichi had a long piece of seaweed wrapped around his right leg. When he calmed down and saw this for himself, he blushed. "Heheh."  
  
Yuki's face was expressionless as he went back to his chair, folded it up with his stuff, and silently headed back to the hotel.  
  
The other people of the beach had angry faces as they once again entered the water. Shuichi bent his head and followed Yuki.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I'm sorry!" Shuichi yelled as he stood in front of the hotel room door. Yuki had locked the boy out without a word. "I thought it was a creature! I could have died!"  
  
"Oh, excuse me, I forgot the dangers of the man-eating seaweed," the writer said flatly as he let the boy in.  
  
Before he could say anything else, Shuichi began to laugh uncontrollably, "Yuki, I told you to use sunscreen!"  
  
Yuki had a completely red face except for the circles around his eyes--where his sunglasses had blocked the sun rays.  
  
"You look like a raccoon!" Shuichi traced the white circles. The writer scowled and pushed the boy's hands away.  
  
"I've noticed," he replied. "Get in here. Rick is on his way."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I'm going to die!" Shuichi whined as he pounded his fists on the car window. Rick had arrived at the hotel four hours before and they had immediately began to make their way to the Everglades.   
  
Yuki narrowed his eyes, "Will you be quiet? It was, after all, your idea to come on this "vacation" and make us suffer." He had been restraining himself from the annoying boy for the past hour and was about to give in.  
  
Shuichi went quiet and Rick only laughed as the minutes rolled on. An hour later they pulled up to the hotel site. It was dark and humid, the wind was nowhere to be found. Yuki was stepping out of the car to unpack the trunk and stopped in his tracks. The "hotel" was run down and dirty, the light flickering from the roof cast a line of light over the door, which had a rusted doorknob.  
  
"Where are we?" The writer asked incredulously. "Hell no," he thought to himself.  
  
Rick looked at the hotel and back at Yuki, "This is the hotel you're gonna be stayin' at."  
  
"What?! Look at it! This is a shack!"  
  
"Yuki, it's not that bad..." Shuichi tried to comfort his lover, but gave up when he got a glare in return.  
  
"It is that bad...but I guess we have no place else to sleep. Is there running water in this place?"  
  
Rick nodded in reply as he carried some of the bags past Yuki and up the stairs. The hotel resembled a log cabin and was surrounded by swamp. It was dim inside and quiet as the two tourists followed their guide to their room. They didn't see anyone, guest or employee. In fact, there was no sign that there was anyone else in the building. "Weird," Shuichi thought to himself as they entered their room and began to unpack when Rick left.  
  
The room consisted of one small and dirty bed, a light in the corner, and a bowl of water for washing up. Yuki was starting to think that they had been ripped off...but Shuichi assured him that K had said this was one of the best tours in the area. They silently dressed into their pajamas and slipped into the bed. Yuki let the light remain on, he didn't trust the hotel enough not to have rats or something worse. "Just one more day..." he told himself. 


	6. Sunshine State GetawayChap5

"Mmm?" A tired sound came from Yuki as he sat up in the bed. He looked around and began to remember where he was. He groaned and got out of bed to put his clothes on.   
  
Outside the sun was barely visible, the sky still gray and empty. The birds did not sing and the creatures did not stir. Yuki looked out of a small window near the sleeping Shuichi to take in the view of a sunrise. "Rick will be here in a couple of hours, better wake the kid," he told himself when he was fully dressed. He nudged the singer on the shoulder until he got a reply.  
  
"I didn't take your lipstick! Besides, it's not my color...Yuki? Oh! Umm, I was just...uh," he blushed as he got out of bed.  
  
"Get dressed and be ready to go when Rick gets here," Yuki told the boy as he left the room.  
  
He walked down the small hallway towards the door, trying to hear the voices of other people as he passed. He found none. When he stepped through the screen door out onto the porch, he pulled out his cellphone and the tour brochure. He found and dialed the number, planning to ask for better sleeping quarters in the future, not that he ever intended to come back to this place. After three tries due to bad reception, the line began to ring.  
  
"Hello, Sunshine Getaway Tours, this is Jane speaking, how may I help you?" A young woman's voice sounded from the other side.  
  
"I would like to give a complaint and suggestion. I think your agency should find a better hotel for guests to stay at while visiting the Everglades. The one I am currently at is dirty and unsafe-looking...it doesn't really help your image and I am sure other guests would appreciate better service," Yuki answered.  
  
"Excuse...sir...Everglades...part...Sunsh...Tour..." The woman said, but there were no cables in the Everglades and Yuki was hearing only fragments.  
  
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"  
  
"I said, excuse me sir but the Everglades aren't a part of the Sunshine Getaway Tours," she repeated.  
  
"What? No, I mean the last part of your trip...exploring the Everglades..." Yuki exclaimed incredulously.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but we don't charter trips that far south. Can you please give me your name so I can look you up?" She requested.  
  
"We're under Shuichi Shindou..."  
  
"Ah, yes Mr.Shindou we have you listed, but there must be a problem because it says here that you never showed up at the airport on arrival day," the woman said after a moments pause.  
  
"Well there must be a mistake because we were picked up by one of your representatives...Rick something," he replied.  
  
"Sir, we don't have anyone in this agency named Rick...and it says here that your guide was supposed to be a female," she slowly told Yuki. "Would...call...help?" Her voice came in over static.  
  
Yuki shook the cell phone and asked her to repeat.  
  
"Would you like me to call the police for help?" She nearly yelled.  
  
The writer stood with his mouth open and stared at the phone. What was going on? Of course they showed...Rick picked them up. But the woman said a female was their guide...that meant that they had gotten in the wrong car with the wrong person. But Rick's cardboard had said Shuichi's name... He told this to the woman and her answer made him go cold all over.  
  
"We recently had a system shutdown...someone hacked into our files and the agency had everything rebooted so that no information was kept secure. But maybe the hacker got what he was looking for..."  
  
"The information on the next tourists to arrive in Florida!" Yuki finished her sentence. The phone gave a beep and when the writer looked at the screen he found that it was black. The battery had gone dead.  
  
"Shit!" Yuki pocketed the phone and ran inside the most likely abandoned hotel. "Shuichi!" He screamed. "Shuichi! Let's go, now!" He ran into the room and grabbed his bag. Shuichi was finished dressing and was zipping up his messily packed bag.  
  
"What is it?" He questioned his lover. "You look upset, is everything okay?"  
  
"Okay?! Okay?!?! Shuichi! I just talked to the agency...they have no Rick working there! And, we were supposed to have a girl picking us up!"  
  
"What? What does it mean?"  
  
Yuki rubbed his hand over his face and took a deep breath. "It means that we are here with a psyco. And we are in the middle of a swamp...with no phone and no car. And Rick will be here in an hour...probably to murder us or hold us for ransom or something...What are we going to do?"  
  
Shuichi looked at the floor, trying to take in all that was being said. Rick had started to become his friend...he had given him the cowboy hat and taught him country. He sighed silently and thought of what to do. His eyebrows raised and he looked into Yuki's eyes. "We don't have a car, but there are two airboats behind this place...I saw them last night. I don't know how to drive one, but I think that it's worth a try to save our lives."  
  
Yuki nodded and headed towards the door. Shuichi grabbed his pack and their two water bottles before following him out. They ran to the back of the "hotel" and spotted the airboats. Yuki motioned to the one on the left and they both stepped onto the machine.   
  
"I'll drive," Yuki declared as he examined the levers. He experimented for a second and the engine roared. Shuichi jumped and quickly sat in one of the two large seats. Yuki pulled a large lever and the boat backed out into the deeper water. After a second they were riding off into the setting sun. They had decided to go the opposite way from which they came; Rick would be driving up to the hotel soon and would spot them. They would go for about an hour and then go around...taking a longer way to the place they had been yesterday. There had been security guards at the small office near the entrance to the park.  
  
The two lovers were quiet as the airboat sped down the swamp. Shuichi was staring out across the water and Yuki was squinting at the sun. He snorted and looked to Shuichi.  
  
"Happy Birthday."  
  
=====================================================================  
  
Back at the hotel an engine died and a car door opened. A shadow fell across the steps and the screen door creaked open. The thud of hard boots sounded into the emptiness as the recently occupied room was entered and the sound of a blade being drawn emitted. All noise vanished for a second. But then the footsteps sounded again and an airboat engine started up. The noise died away and the hotel was silent once again.  
  
=====================================================================  
  
About half an hour later Yuki cursed as their boat slowed.  
  
"It's out of gas! Why didn't I think of that?"  
  
"It's not your fault Yuki, we didn't really have much time to plan things," his young lover comforted him.  
  
Yuki shook his head and pulled the airboat up to dry land. "It looks like this stretches pretty far...I guess we have to go on foot."  
  
Shuichi bowed his head and got out of the boat after he picked up his things. "Some vacation...Yuki will never go anywhere with me again," he told himself. He sighed and waited for Yuki to get out of the boat. When they were both ready and each had a water bottle, they began to walk. And they walked and walked and walked. Shuichi couldn't take it any more.  
  
"We are never going to get anywhere except more swamp! We have been walking forever!"  
  
"Actually, it has been twenty-three minutes," Yuki corrected him while looking at his watch. He was about to say more when he stopped. He put a finger to his lips and motioned for Shuichi to get down. After a minute the two lovers heard the roar of an airboat. The boy's eyes widened as he thought of Rick.   
  
"He must have found our boat!" He whispered to Yuki. The writer nodded and stood still. After they could no longer hear anything but crickets they got up. Yuki let out a breath and looked around.  
  
"We have to be careful. I can't believe it, but he found us.We have no food and little water. I don't know how long we can last."  
  
Shuichi put his hand on his lover's shoulder, "We can last as long as we need to. Now let's go."  
  
They began to walk again and this time didn't stop for an hour. By now they only had half of the water left and almost none of the energy. But they came up to a gap in the land. The water ran for about ten feet and land began again.  
  
"Uh-oh...what do we do now?"  
  
Yuki pointed to the other side and his partner shook his head.  
  
"No! This is the Everglades! Alligators swarm these waters!!! Rick told me..." He stopped.  
  
"Yeah. Rick. He is the reason why we are here on hell instead of vacation! So don't let me hear any of the advice that man gave you because I couldn't care less!" Yuki shouted. He then began to wade out into the water. "Come on...go fast and maybe they wont get you...look I'm in the middle and it isn't even that deep."  
  
Shuichi began to cry as he stepped into the dark swamp water. Visions of attack flooded his mind and he was near breaking. He let out a scream and jumped as he felt a pressure on his waist. He looked to find Yuki next to him, lifting him out of the water.  
  
"I'll carry you, but stay still."  
  
Shuichi nodded and hugged Yuki's neck as he was pulled onto the writer's back. "Thank-you," he whispered.  
  
When they reached the other side without incident, Shuichi got off of Yuki's back and took a deep breath.  
  
"Don't worry Shuichi, we only took forty-five minutes to drive as far as the hotel...with the half an hour on airboat the long way, and our hour and a half on foot...we shouldn't take more than one hour to get to the office," Yuki offered as they began to walk once again.  
  
Inwardly Shuichi groaned but said nothing. He just wanted to get home and hoped that Yuki would still talk to him...But what if they never got home. They couldn't even be certain that they were going in the right direction...  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Shuichi was studying the cypress trees and listening for airboat sounds when something caught his eye. "Yuki, what's that?" He pointed a little to the right. The writer glanced over and looked down at the park map he had in his hand. He flipped through to the part about Indians.  
  
"I think it's an abandoned Indian reservation...we can rest there," he said after reading the paragraph.  
  
They walked to the old Indian site and looked around. Yuki found a good place to sit and they put down their things. Shuichi decided to look around and Yuki took a small nap. About ten minutes later, Shuichi was hopping around the wooden platforms that stuck out of the ground. He was humming to himself and playing with his hair when he saw something that made his heart skip a beat. Near the end of the platform he was on, resting in the water and tied to a wooden pole was an airboat.   
  
Rick's airboat.  
  
"Oh no," Shuichi whispered, "Yuki." The young boy turned and jumped off of the platform, racing to where his lover was resting. How had Rick found them? "Just my luck. Out of something as huge as the Everglades the psyco goes to the exact same place we are," he shook his head. He began to walk very slowly as he came upon the platform Yuki would be at. When he turned the corner he saw his lover in the same spot as when he left; only this time his hands and legs were bound and his mouth was gagged. The writer looked up and his eyes widened as he saw Shuichi. He was shaking his head and making small noises, trying to get Shuichi to run. The boy was about to run and untie his lover when a creak from behind made him turn his head and spot the man they had been running from all day.  
  
Rick was in his normal outfit, newly donning a few holes, and had mud all over him. He held a blade in his right hand and rope in the other while his wild, bloodshot eyes looked over Shuichi.  
  
"Rick," was all the singer could manage. He took a step back and looked to Yuki. The writer was casting a worried glance towards their former guide.  
  
"Now, don't do anything stupid and just cooperate here," Rick demanded in a strained voice.   
  
"What do you want from us? Why are you doing this?" Shuichi pleaded with the man.  
  
"Revenge. For my wife's death. She was so excited. A trip over Florida for our anniversary. But I couldn't go, my dad was sick in the hospital. I told her to go without me-one of us should have enjoyed ourselves. She wanted to stay with me and I yelled, demanding that she go. And then her plane crashed, all because she was going on the Sunshine State Getaway Tour. And now they will pay for what they have done."  
  
Shuichi narrowed his eyes, "Just because your wife died on a plane doesn't mean it is some tour's fault! That's crazy! And she wasn't the only one on the plane! What kind of revenge is murdering two tourists?!"  
  
"They will learn their lesson," was his reply. "They will see that they have to take responsibility for things. Besides, I didn't know there were gonna be two of you...the ticket only had a Shuichi. That's why all of your hotels gave you one room, but I guess you two are like that anyway..."  
  
"Yeah! See, the paper only said me! So don't take Yuki, please," Shuichi begged, knowing that he would die either way. At least Yuki could live. He turned to look in Yuki's eyes. The writer had despair mirrored in his, but could say nothing.  
  
Rick thought a moment and shook his head in agreement, "The airboats only have enough room for two people anyway and I only need one of ya...life for a life." He grabbed Shuichi by the arms and began to tie him up. When he was finished he got his things and pulled the boy away.   
  
As he was being forced away, Shuichi looked into Yuki's eyes, tears coming from both of the lovers. He searched until he saw reluctant understanding in the writer's and at last he mouthed "I love you" and turned his head. Soon he was in the boat with Rick, and looked into the distance as he was being drawn to his fate.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Yuki watched as the center of his life, though he would not admit, was taken from him-to be killed. He choked back the tears and thought of what to do. He had no way of helping Shuichi. He had no boat, he didn't know where they were going, and he had no weapon. But--what if he ran? To the office...it would take about twenty-minutes, maybe enough time for Shuichi to still be alive. He would call for help, but how would they get there on time? Oh well, he had to try. What else could he do? He pushed his leg back against the wall to stand up-he had worked off the bonds on his legs and arms while Rick had been talking to the boy. Knots must not have been a part of his skills. He pulled off the gag covering his mouth and ran to the edge of the platform. He only caught a glimpse of the boat slipping around the corner and the sound of the engine fading, but now he knew which way Shuichi would be in. He jumped to the damp floor and remembered which way he was to go. With one last glance in the direction Shuichi had been taken, Yuki turned and began to run. 


	7. Sunshine State GetawayChap6

Hey!!! Let me start off by saying: I AM SOOO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG! BUT MY PC WAS DOWN, I WAS HELPLESS!! I hope that everyone still wants to read my fanfiction. I was going to make this chapter longer but I didn't want to wait any longer to post so I'll have a new chapter up soon I PROMISE!!!

_The time we shared  
however scattered.  
Filling up hearts  
forever shattered.  
A silent tear  
the last goodbye.  
A glance of fear  
the last reply._  
X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X

Shuichi looked up from the floor of the airboat, it's consistent drum sounding throughout his ears. The bonds Rick had tied on his arms and legs left him little room to move. The gag in his mouth had been removed, though this did nothing to comfort the boy. Earlier he had been trying to get free of the bonds and had almost succeeded, until Rick noticed and tied a rope to himself and Shuichi, making sure the singer had no means of escape. Now as Shuichi looked up to his captor he saw that the man looked normal once again, as he had when they first began the tour. Tear streaks stained his face and looking at him made Shuichi almost want to reach out a hand of comfort. But no matter how sad the man was it did not justify killing anyone--especially someone who had been hundreds of miles away at the time and had nothing whatsoever to do with it! In his soul, Shuichi had given up the fight for life, knowing his death to be inevitable. He was comforted knowing that at least his death would have purpose; it saved Yuki from the same fate. If only he had not bugged the writer into coming to Florida, none of this would have happened. Though Shuichi smiled as he remembered the time they had. He was sure that Yuki had opened up more to him on the trip, that their love was just taking flight. He sighed and tried one last time to think of those he would be leaving; His family, Hiro and Bad Luck, not to mention his fans. It just didn't seem fair that he couldn't say goodbye.  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Hey kid, get out."  
Rick's flat voice jolted Shuichi from sleep. The singer looked down to find that his feet had been unbound and he slowly stood up. It was now night, the stinging sun having left to allow the moon its turn to shine down upon this edge of the world. Crickets and amphibians could be heard in every direction. They had stopped at yet another cabin-like building, but this one was different. Artificial light poured out the windows, lighting the porch and nearby surroundings. A very large body of swamp water was behind the hut, stretching out for miles. As the two entered the building, Shuichi in front of the untrusting impostor, the boy saw that there was a video camera and wires everywhere, not to mention a bunch of high-tech stuff. Shuichi automatically knew what his fate would be.  
"How do you get a signal way out here?" He asked.  
Rick turned to the boy, at first confused. After a moment he smirked and grunted before turning back to the corner where he was connecting wires.  
With a wavering sigh Shuichi sat down on the hard, wood floor.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK-NORTH ENTRANCE OFFICE

"Alright Marv, I'll see you tomorrow," a national park security guard called to his coworker as he was ready to go home from an uneventful day. But as he making for the door it burst open, revealing a lone hunched figure.  
"I...Shuichi...need help..."

Yuki had run nearly non-stop since leaving the old Indian reservation. For an hour all that had run across his mind was getting help for his lover before it was too late. The trip had been surprisingly easy for being in the middle of a swampland. The writer wasn't even sure that he had been running in the right direction. He had been about to give up, to numbly accept the fate handed out to him and Shuichi when he saw the office they had passed when first entering the Everglades.

"What the...?" The security guard named 'Marv' stood up from his chair, "What happened to you mister?"Yuki looked at the man with a crazed stare, "There is no time for explanations, an innocent life is at stake and I need your help!"

"Now, Shuichi, you just cooperate and it will all be painless. Don't--then, well you'll see," Rick grabbed the boy's hands and pulled him to the wall in front of the video camera. His plan was to broadcast to the headquarters of the Sunshine State Getaway Tour...to show them they shouldn't be killing their customers off. Of course, this was all in the man's twisted view on things. To the Tour it would not prove anything, except that some psycho killed a tourist for a problem that if anything, should be blamed on the airline. Not that any of that mattered--Rick would go through with his plan no matter what, it was all the purpose left in his life.Shuichi was about to sit on the floor when he looked out the window to see the world one last time. His eyes widened as he saw multiple figures dashing about in the dark, signaling to each other and speaking into walkie-talkies. (Shuichi has really great vision all of a sudden!) But how had they found them? There was no way--unless Yuki had come to his rescue, just like in his day-dream! He was about to run for the door, make his escape, and let the authorities handle the rest when a rough hand covered his mouth."Easy there cowboy," Rick had silently come up behind Shuichi. He must have noticed the visitors too.They backed up slowly, Rick turning the handle to the back door so they could exit. He had another airboat ready for something exactly like this, just in case. They made their way down the dock and Shuichi struggled against his bonds, succeeding in only having Rick tighten his grip.If Shuichi didn't do something fast then he and Yuki would never be together again, he would lose his life, everything he had worked for. But as ideas raced in and out of his mind Rick got closer to escape.


End file.
